Locomotive-spring



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

J. W. HARTY. LOGOMOTIVE SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1903 N0 MODEL.

Patented February 9, 1964 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. HARTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

LOCOMOTlVE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 51 ,850, datedFebruary 9, 1904.

Application filed July 13, 1903. Serial No. 165,239. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. HARTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Locomotive-Springs; and Ideclarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to semi-elliptical springs, and moreparticularly to such springs especially adapted for locomotives.

It is usual to provide the ends of semi-elliptical springs withbearing-plates upon which the load is supported. Such plates areordinarily secured to the ends of the main leaf of the spring bywelding. It has, however, been heretofore proposed to secure thebearingplates to the ends of the spring by mechanical means-as, forinstance, by sockets formed in the bearing-plates into which the ends ofthe spring extend or by lugs on the plates received in notches in theends of the spring or within elongations of the usual slots throughwhich the hangers extend.

The primary object of my invention is to provide simple and efficientmeans for mechanically securing the bearing-plates to semi-ellipticalsprings without weakening the ends of the springs either by cuttingnotches therein or by extending the usual hanger-slots.

A further object of my invention is to provide a locomotive-spring whichwill be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and durableand efficient in use.

My invention, generally described, consists in providing studs upon theupper surface of the top leaf of the spring, such studs being 10- catedat the opposite ends thereof and in alinement with the hanger-slots, andin providing recesses or sockets in the under surfaces of the ends ofthe bearing-plates into which the studs project.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated in aconvenient and practical form, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevationalView; Fig. 2, a plan View; Fig. 3, an enlarged longitudinal sectionthrough one end of the spring, showing the bearing-plate in position;Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the bearing-plate disengagedfrom the spring; and Fig. 5, adetail view of a modification.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts inthe several figures of the drawings.

Reference character A indicates a semi-elliptical spring of any usual orordinary construction which comprises a main or top leaf (0 andunderlying supplemental shorter leaves placed successively one beneaththe other.

B designates the band or clip which surrounds and closely embraces thecentral portions of the several leaves, thereby binding them tightlytogether.

The ends of the spring are provided with elongated slots, through whichextend the upper ends of the hangers for sustaining the loadsuch, forinstance, as the engine-supporting rods or stirrups.

C and C designate the end bearing-plates, each of which is provided withan elongated slot 0, which registers with the hanger-slot in thecorresponding end of the spring. These bearing-plates may be made of anysuitable materialsuch, for-instance, as wrought or malleable iron. Theupper surface of each plate is provided with a transverse groove 0, inwhich is adapted to be seated a pin or key extending through the upperend of the hanger or stirrup;

As the construction of the hanger or stirrup and of the retaining pin orkey forms no part of my invention, they are neither illustrated nordescribed in detail herein.

It is desirable that the bearing-plates should be securely supportedupon the ends of the spring, so as to avoid the possibility ofaccidental detachment therefrom; but it is also desirable that thebearing-plates should be capable of being removed from the spring when,for instance, the spring becomes broken and useless, in which case thebearing-plates may be removed and again used upon a new spring. Thisresult I accomplish by providing studs a 0 upon the upper surface of thetop leaf a of the spring, such studs being located at the ends of andpreferably in alinement with the hanger-slots. These studs may be formedintegrally with or fixed to the upper surface of the ends of the spring.The studs or pins a a are preferably tapered, so as to be tightly forcedwithin the recesses c 0 in the corresponding plate, thereby insuring theretention of the plate upon the spring. On the under surface of eachhanger-plate are formed-recesses or sockets 0' 0, located at the ends ofand in alinement with the slot C, which registers with the hanger-slotin the corresponding end of the spring. These recesses or sockets arespaced apart a distance to correspond to the space between the studs (4a, so that each bearing-plate may be retained in position upon thecorresponding end of the spring by means of the studs a a entering thecorresponding recesses 0 0', thereby maintaining the hanger-slots in theplate and spring in alinement.

In lieu of employing the studs or pins a a I and the cooperating taperedrecesses c c in the plates detachable pins or rivets, such as indicatedat '(Z in Fig. 5, may be employed, which extend entirely through therecesses in the bearing-plates and are headed at their op posite ends,so as to tightly retain the plates in position upon the spring. Theheads on the pins do not, however, prevent the plates from being removedby .means of a chisel or similar tool when it is desired to detach theplates from one spring and use them on another spring.

The operation of and manner of using my invention will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description. The plates C and G arelocated upon the respective ends of the spring, with the studs extendingwithin the of the hangers with the 'ends of the springs.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have inventedimproved means for supporting bearing-plates upon the ends of.locomotive or other elliptical springs whereby such plates may besecured in position upon the springs so as to prevent their accidentaldisplacement without, however, preventing the removal of thebearing-plates from the spring when it is desired to do so.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a semi-elliptical spring, of a bearing-platemounted upon an end thereof, and studs projecting upwardly from the topsurface of the spring engaging recesses in the plate.

2. The combination with a locomotivespring, of bearing-plates mountedupon the ends thereof, said plates having hanger-slots registering withsimilar slots in the ends of the spring, and studs on the ends of thespring located adjacent to the hanger-slots, and adapted to be receivedin recesses in the bearingplates.

3. The combination with a locomotivespring, of bearing-plates mountedupon the ends of the spring to sustain the load said plates and springhaving registering slots through which the hangers extend, and alinedstuds located on the upper surface of the ends of the spring at each endof each hanger-slot adapted to engage recesses formed in the undersurface of the plates.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES WV. HARTY.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WVILKINsoN, C. C. CUNNINGHAM.

